A zesty blueberry tart bursting with colour makes for an effortlessly elegant dessert
Diana Henry
The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
Published
The pastry here is from the California chef Lindsey Shere and it’s wonderful – thin and buttery and almost biscuity. You make it in a slightly different way, creaming the butter and sugar for it and then smearing it little by little with the heel of your hand (the French term is ‘fraisage’) once the flour has been added. There are good how-to videos online for the pastry method.
Do follow the chilling times and only add the amount of blueberries given here, otherwise they’ll bleed too much.
Requires chilling time
Overview
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
40 mins
Serves
6
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 85g unsalted butter, cool but not cold
- 2½ tbsp caster sugar
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
For the filling
- 8 large egg yolks
- Finely grated zest of 3 lemons, plus 165ml lemon juice
- 150g caster sugar
- 80g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- 125g blueberries
Method
Step
For the pastry, cream together 85g unsalted butter (cool but not cold) and 2½ tbsp caster sugar – it’s best to use a handheld mixer as the quantity is small – for 2 minutes.
Step
Measure out 2½ tbsp of the beaten egg (discard the rest) and add it along with ¼ tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
Step
Mix again, with the mixer on a slow speed, then add 125g plain flour all at once and blend briefly (just until the flour is no longer visible).
Step
Turn the dough out on to a work surface. Mix it together by pushing the dough away from you with the heel of your hand for just a couple of minutes. Gather it all together, flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for an hour.
Step
Meanwhile, to make the filling, put 8 large egg yolks, the zest of 3 lemons, 165ml lemon juice (from the zested lemons), 150g caster sugar and 80g chilled unsalted butter (cut into cubes) into a glass or ceramic bowl.
Step
Set this over a pan of gently simmering water and, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, cook until the mixture will coat the back of a spoon (drag your index finger through it – it should leave a channel). Don’t cook the filling until it is very thick – you’re not making lemon curd for toast – the filling will be cooked later.
Step
Scrape the filling into a clean bowl, cover with cling film – pressing the cling film on to the surface of the mixture – and chill for 2-3 hours.
Step
Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 23cm tart tin with a removeable base (this does fill this size of tin but you have only a very tiny bit left over – if it breaks, just patch it up).
Step
Put into the freezer for 30 minutes.
Step
Preheat the oven to 190C/180C fan/gas mark 5.
Step
Fill the tart case with greaseproof paper and baking beans. Bake for 12 minutes then gently remove the beans and paper.
Step
Turn the oven down to 175C/165C fan/gas mark 4. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove and let the tart case cool, but leave the oven on.
Step
Spread the lemon filling into the tart case. Sprinkle 125g blueberries on top and very gently press them into the filling.
Step
Bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes, then leave to cool.